SENDIASS guidance for health

Many children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), will also have medical needs.

Health care services

Many children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), will also have medical needs. Different health care providers are commissioned by NHS Herefordshire & Worcestershire Integrated Care Board to provide health care services for these children and young people.

The Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) supports joined up working between health services and local authorities.

The DCO is not routinely involved in assessments or planning for individuals, except in the course of their usual clinical practice, but they are responsible for ensuring that assessment, planning and health support is carried out by health providers and agreeing the health services within an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP).

Herefordshire Designated Clinical Officer: hwicb.herefordshiresenddco@nhs.net

Worcestershire Designated Clinical Officer: hwicb.senddco@nhs.net 

Designated clinical officers are employed by NHS Herefordshire & Worcestershire Integrated Care Board which is part of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care System. More information can be found on 

Useful websites to health care services related to SEND in your area

Learning Disability Register and Annual Health Checks

If your child or young person has a learning disability you can ask for them to be added to the Learning Disability Register at your doctor’s surgery. Anyone of any age, and any level of learning disability can join the register, even if they live independently and have little or no support. 

By being on the Learning Disability Register they will get extra support when they visit the doctors and could receive an annual health check once they are 14 years old. 

Mencap have further information here:

Autism and ADHD assessments

Your local authority’s Neurodivergence zone on the local offer website has information about what to do if you think your child might have Autism and/or ADHD, including local pathways and information about choosing another NHS approved provider through the Right to Choose pathway.

Information about local NHS pathways can be found in the following links:

NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire have created a booklet containing information for families with children who are on the Autism or ADHD diagnostic pathway.

It explains the clinical pathways for Autism and ADHD, including what happens before, during and after an assessment. It also includes information about services and support for both children and young people and their parent carers.

You can find the booklet here: 

Right to choose pathway

Information about the Right to Choose Pathway can be found in this document:

Private therapy assessments

Some families choose to commission private or independent therapists such as Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists to assess and work with their child.

The local authority must consider private reports with the same weight as NHS/LA obtained ones, but will carry out simple checks such as: 

  • is the professional registered - The Health and Care Professions Council regulates 15 professions including Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Dieticians, Social Workers and has a register where you can check your professional is listed
  • does the report outline needs, provision and outcomes
  • has the professional adhered to relevant NICE guidelines and professional standards

The SEND Tribunal is concerned only with whether the report-writer has the relevant expertise to make the recommendations in the report, not who has commissioned them.

Healthwatch

Healthwatch provide information on health services and give you the opportunity to have your say about how services operate. 

Also in this section

Helpful guidance

Contact SENDIASS

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